Vaginal douche.



H. GGLLOMB.

VAGINAL DOUCHE.

APPLICATION FILED IuIIE 3,19I5;

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

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H. GOLLGMB.

VAGINAL DOUCHE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1915.

l,223,963 Patented Apr.24,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Ernwra @o 250m@ HERMAN GOLLOIVIB, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

VAGINAL DOUCHE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

Application filed. June 3, 1915. Serial No. 31,819.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN GoLLoMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vaginal Douches, of which the following is a speciication.

The object of my invention is to provide a vaginal douche of novel, simple and eliicient construction by means of which water or other liquid may be caused to flow from a suitable container into the vagina and from the vagina into another suitable container, the invention being especially adapted for use where sick personsv or invalide are coniined to their beds. lVith this general object in View, my invented device consists of the elements and the combinations of them hereinafter fully described and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention:

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of my improved vaginal douche, the view being divided and the left hand side thereof being placed beneath the right hand side thereof.

Fig. 2 is a section, on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through one of the devices for detachably connecting the tubes to the bag.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the liquid pump or bulb.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the member provided with the parts adapted to enter the vagina.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the tube clamp, ir. the open position.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the tube clamp in the closed position.

Referring to the drawings, 4 designates a hollow member having an outer wall 5 and an inner wall 6 adapted to engage the body of a person in the region of the vagina. The

member 4 is provided with a tubular part 7 which extends through the hollow body of the member 4 and from the inner wall 6 thereof, as shown, and ,is adapted to enter the vagina, and provides an inlet passageway 8 through which liquid may flow into the inner portion of the vagina. The member 4 is also provided with a hollow bulb like part 9 which extends from its inner on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

wall 6 and surrounds the tubular part 7 and opens into the hollow body of the member 4. This part 9 is adapted to enter the vagina with the part 7 and it is provided with inlet openings 10 through which liquid may flow from the outer portion of the vagina and into the hollow body of the member 4, the part 9 being shorter than the part 7, as shown.

The tubular part 7 extends beyond the outer wall 5 of the member 4 and has a flexible inlet pipe or tube 13 connected thereto; and the outer wall 5 of the member 4 is provided with an outwardly-extending nipple 12 which has a flexible outer tube or pipe 11 connected thereto. The tubes 13 and 1l extend from the member 4 and are connected to the discharge and inlet nipples 14 and 15, respectively, of a double rubber bulb or pump 16 which is divided by a diaphragm or partition 17 into a primary chamber 18 and a secondary chamber 19, the pipe 13 communicating with the primary chamber 18 and the pipe 11 communicating with the secondary chamber 19. f

The bulb 16, at the end thereof opposite to the end connected to the tubes 11 and 13, is provided with inlet and discharge nipples 20 and 21 which communicate with the primary and secondary chambers 18 and 19, respectively; and connected to the nipples 2O and 21 are pipes 22 and 23, respectively. These pipes 22 and 23 extend from the bulb 16 to a bag 24 constructed of suitable material and adapted to contain water or other liquid, the pipes 22 and 23 being connected to the bag 24 by suitable connecting devices 25, hereinafter described, by means of which the pipes 22 and 23 may be connected to or disconnected from the bag 24 as desired. H

The bag 24 is divided into upper and lower compartments 26 and 27, respectively, by a horizontal partition 28; and one end of the bag 24 is closed by a wall or block 29 having two passageways 3() and 31 extending therethrough with which the tubes 22 and 23 communicate, respectively. The passageway 31 opens directly into the lower compartment 27 and the inner end of the passageway 30 terminates in a tube 32 which extends into the upper compartment 26 and down into a depression 33 in the partition 28 and opens into the lower part of the depression 33, the open end of the tube 32 being heldin place in the lower part of the depression 33 by suitable webs or parts 34 connecting th-e tube 32 to the partition 23. The compartment 26 is adapted to contain the water or other liquid, which, as will be hereinafter explained, may be caused to flow therefrom through the tubes 32, 22and 13 and part 7 and into the vagina, and the compartment 27 is adaptedto receive the water or other liquid from the vagina through the part 9 and tubes 11 and 23 after it has passed into the vagina from the compartment 26.

To effect this flow of the liquid, the nipples 14, l5, 20 and 21 of the bulb 16 are provided with suitable valves 35, 36, 37 and 38, respectively, which are so arranged that by compressing the bulb 16 and permitting it to expand in lalternate succession, the stream of liquid will be caused to flow in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1.

The purpose of providing the tube 32 and depression 33 is to permit the bulb or pump 16 to draw substantially all the liquid from the compartment 26, the liquid flowing by gravity to the bottom of the depression 33 and the lower end of the tube therein.

The tube 13 is made flat and twisted in its normal condition, as shown in Fig. 1, to cause a continuous stream of liquid to flow to the vagina. When the bulb 16 is compressed, the liquid forced therefrom into the tube 13 causes it to open and untwist and its sides to expand, and when the pressure is released from the bulb 16 to draw more liquid from the compartment 26, the tube 13, resuming its normal condition, causes the liquid to continue to flow therefrom to the vagina.

The connecting devices and the means to connect. the parts thereof to their tubes 22 and 23 and their passageways 30 and 31 are alike in construction, and, therefore, a description of the connecting device 25 of the tube 22 will sullice for both, as follows: The wall of the passageway extends outwardly from the block 29 and is made of elastic material and embraces a sleeve having an outwardly-extending flange 41 on its outer end and inwardly-extending flange 42 on its inner end. Slidable within the sleeve 40 is a tube 43 having a reduced inner portion 44 which is fitted within the flange 42. The inner end of the tube 43- is provided with a head 45 adapted to engage the lla-nge 42 on the inner end of the sleeve 40. The tube 43 is forced normally outward by a spring 47 encircling the reduced portion 44 of the tube 43 within the sleeve 40 and bearing against the flange 42 and the shoulder 48 to force the washer 46 against the sleeve 40 and prevent the escape of liquid from the passageway 30. The tube 43 is provided with one or more openings 49 near the head 45 to afford communication between the passageway 30 and the tube 43 when the tube 43 is forced inwardly and the opening 49 is moved to a position inwardly of the sleeve 40. The outer end of the tube 43 is exteriorly tapered andtted within an interiorly tapered end of a tubular member 50, the other end of which is connected to the flexible tube 22 by being embraced by the end thereof. The member 50 is provided with a latch arm 51 pivoted, at 52, to the member 50 and forced inwardly or toward the tube 43 by a suitable spring 53, the end of the latch 51 being provided with a hook 54, beveled at for a purpose presently explained. TvVhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the member 50 may be readily removed from the tube 43 to disconnect the tube 22 from the bag 24, and when sordisconnected, the spring 47, forcing the head 45 against the flange 42 will prevent the escape of liquid through the tube 43 from the bag 24. When, however, the member 50 is applied to the tube 43 and forced toward the bag 24, the tube 43 will be forced inwardly against the spring 47 and the beveled portion 55 of the latch 51 ywil-l force the hook 54 outwardly until it clears the flange 4l, whereupon the spring 53 will forcev the hook 54 inwardly and cause it to engage the flange 41 and retain the tube 43 in the inner position in which the opening 49 is exposed to the passageway 30 and communication is thereby established between the tube 22 and the bag 24. The latch 51 not only holds the tube 43 in the inner or open position, but it also serves to hold the member 50 in connected engagement with the tube 43. When it is desired to disconnect the tube 22 from the bag 24, the latch 51 is moved outwardly to disengage the hook 54 from the flange 41, whereupon the member 50 may be moved from the tube 43, and the spring 47 will automatically move the tube 43 into its normal or closing position. It will thus be seen that by disconnecting the members 50 of both connecting devices 25 from their tubes 43, the tubes 22 and 23 and the member 4 and all the intervening connections may be removed from the bag 24.

To open and close the compressible tubes 22 and 23 to permit or Stop the flow of liquid therethrough, when the tubes 43 of the connecting devices 25 are open, I provide a clamp which is constructed as follows: 61 designates a body portion which includes two clamping members 62 and 63 connected by spring portions 64 at one end `of the body portion 6l and having their free or clamping ends adapted to be sprung toward each other to compress and clamp the tubes 22 and 23 therebetween. The body portion 61 also includes two side portions 65, between which the clamping member 63 and the tubes 22 and 23 extend, as shown. Between the side portions 65 are two levers 66 and 67 which are fulcrumed thereon at 68 and 69, respectively. The arm 70 of the lever 66 is adapted to be depressed by hand from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 8, and the arm 71 is adapted to engage the clamping member 63 and force it toward the clamping member 62 when the arm 70 is so depressed, and thereby clamp and close the tubes 22 and 23. The arm 71 is so related to the ulcrum 68 and the clamping member 63 that when the arm is depressed and its free end bears upon the member 63, as shown in Fig. 8, the pressure of the spring portions 64 will hold the lever 66 in its clamping' position. lNhen the lever 66 is moved to this clamping position, the arm 72 of the lever 67 is moved down between the arm 70 and the member 63, and the arm 73 of the lever 67 is moved up, as shown in Fig. 8. Now, when it is desired to unclamp or release the tubes 22 and 23, so that water may flow therethrough, the arm 73 of the lever 67 is depressed from the position shown in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. 7, thereby causing the arm 72 to raise the arm 70 of the lever 66 and thus release the clamping members 62 and 63 and permit them to be forced apart by the spring portions 64 which cause the upper member 63 to act against the arm 71 and complete the movement of the lever 66 to the position shown in Fig. 7. It will thus be understood that the tubes 22 and 23 may be readily closed when desired by pressinw down the arm 70, and opened when desired by pressing down the arm 73.

The wall or block 29 has two openings 75 and 76 therein which communicate with the compartments 26 and 27 and which are normally closed by screw plugs 77 and 78, respectively. By removing the plug 77 liquid may be introduced to the compartment 26 through the opening 75, and by removing the plug 78 liquid may be permitted to ow from the compartment 27.

The operation, briefly, is as follows: The plug 77 is removed and the water or other liquid to be used in douche is introduced to the compartment 26, the tubes 43 in the connecting devices 25 being in position to close the passageways 30 and 3l. The tubes 22 and 23 are then connected to the bag 24 by means of the connecting devices 25, as previously explained, thereby opening communication between the tubes 22 and 23 and the compartments 26 and 27, respectively. The bag 24 is now laid flat upon a suitable support and the parts 7 and 9 are inserted into the vagina, and the inner wall 6 of the member 4 is held firmly against the body ot the person. The clamp 60 is then opened and the bulb or pump 16 is operated by hand to cause the liquid to flow from the compartment 26 and into the vagina and out from the vagina and into the compartment 27 After this operation the clamp 60 is closed, the parts 7 and 9 are then removed rom the vagina and the devices 25 are operated to disconnect the tubes 22 and 23 from the bag 24. The plug 78 is then removed and the water or liquid is emptied from the compartment 27. The clamp 60 is opened to permit the liquid to drain from the disconnected tubes 22 and 23 and their connected parts, or to be forced theretrom by operating the bulb 16.

It will be observed that the compartments 26 and 27 are located one above the other and that the dividing partition extends horizontally between the compartments. By this construction the lower compartment 27 will be collapsed by the weight of the water within the upper compartment, and when the water flows from the upper compartment 26 and back into the lower compartment 27, the upper compartment may loe collapsed as the lower compartment lills, so that the size of the bag will always remain substantially the same and also always occupy substantially the same space. This is an important advantage when the bag is placed in a bed with a patient.

I claim:

1. In a vaginal douche, a member provided with a part adapted to enter the vagina and having an inletl passageway therein adapted to discharge liquid into the vagina and an outlet passageway therein adapted to receive liquid from the vagina, a bag having top and bottom and side and end walls, the top and bottom walls being of greater area than the side and end walls, said bag having two separate compartments therein adapted to contain liquid, said compartments being located one above the other and separated by a horizontal partition, means to connect one of said compartments and said outlet passageway, and means to connect the other of said compartments and said inlet passageway and to cause liquid to flow to said inlet passageway.

2. In a vaginal douche, a member provided with a part adapted to enter the vagina and having an inlet passageway therein adapted to discharge liquidvinto the vagina and an outlet passageway therein adapted to receive liquid from the vagina, a bag having a horizontal partition dividing it into upper and lower compartments adapted to contain liquid, said partition having a depression therein, a discharge pipe having its inlet end opening into said depression and thereby communicating with said upper compartment, means to connect said lower compartment and said outlet passageway, and means to connect said pipe and said inlet passageway and to cause liquid to flow to said inlet passageway.

3. In a vaginal douche, a member provided with a part adapted to enter the vagina and having an inlet passageway therein adapted to discharge liquid into the vagina and an outlet passageway therein adapted to receive liquid from the vagina, a bag having a horizontal partition dividing it into upper and lower compartments adapted to contain liquid, a discharge pipe having its inlet end opening into the upper compartment, a web connecting said pipe and said partition, means to connect said lower compartment and said outlet passageway, and means to connect said pipe and said inlet passageway and to cause liquid to flow to said inlet passage'way.

4. In a vaginal douche, a part adapted to enter the vagina and having a passageway therein adapted to discharge liquid into the vagina, a flattened eXpansible and contractihle tube connected to said part and having right and left twisted portions, and means operative to force liquid into said tube intermittently. v

In testimony whereof I a-iiix my signature.

` HERMAN GOLLOMB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five `cents each, by addressing 'the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

